


Hold My Hand A Little Longer

by galacticlyss (CosmicallyLyss)



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Boys Being Cute, Boys Kissing, Domestic Karlnap, Double Date, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, George and Tommy are brothers because I said so, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Misunderstandings, Not Canon Compliant, Not Minecraft YouTubers AU, Self-Doubt, Social Anxiety, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, for a few paragraphs, minimal angst, movie date, movie theater, there is a total of one sex joke made
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 08:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29623380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicallyLyss/pseuds/galacticlyss
Summary: The bench - his bench - was occupied. All Dream could see of the young man was the top of his head, which was covered by a black beanie, tufts of dark brown hair sticking out from the front of the knit hat. His face was hidden in his hands, and his knees were tucked against his chest. Dream should have been able to pick up on the blatant cues: This person is sad. This person is using the sulking bench to sulk. But when all Dream wanted was to sit down and try and figure out a way to address his predicament, social cues didn’t matter. “Hey.” He said, his voice monotonous. “You’re-” Dream’s sentence stopped abruptly when the man looked up at him, his face appearing out from behind his hands. His eyes were red and watery, his high and defined cheekbones dotted a blotchy pink from what appeared to be dried tear tracks. “You’re crying.”aka the one where socially awkward, shy dream wraps himself up in a lie about having a boyfriend and is now expected to go on a double date with the aforementioned (nonexistent) boyfriend. he's at a loss for what to do until he sees someone sit on his special bench at the movie theater. now if dream can play his cards right, he'll have a (fake) date
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Minor Sapnap/Karl Jacobs - Relationship, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 226





	Hold My Hand A Little Longer

**Author's Note:**

> me? rewriting another one of my old ateez fics for a dnf oneshot bc i wanna pump out more content? more likely than you think !! anyway just like the original 'all i want is you', the title of this fic was taken from ateez's song 'stay'! it's really pretty and i def recommend listening to ateez they're super talented and have a comeback on sapnap's birthday.  
> anyway !!  
> y'all know we gotta have the classic fake dating oneshot !! it's a staple for any ship in any fandom, so i'm here to provide you with (exactly) 7.5k words of dnf with this prompt! i won't spoil the end, but i promise it's happy !!!!  
> also - this has a teen rating but there's one moment of a heavily implied karlnap innuendo but it's like,, maybe 3-5 sentences so not bad at all.
> 
> happy reading, folks ! hope you enjoy !

Dream wasn’t an idiot. And he wasn’t the type of person to lie to somebody, especially not to his lifelong best friend. But Dream was a bit panicky, and he was frazzled whenever he was asked about something that needed to be answered with a time limit. And it was that reason that landed him in one of the worst predicaments of his life. Could he just come clean? Of course. Would that be the easy thing to do? Obviously. Would it save him from an immense amount of stress and pointless inner turmoil? Undoubtedly. But that didn’t mean Dream was about to expose his lie.

And it was all from a goddamn Twitter post. Forty characters to ruin - well, that was overdramatic, but so was Dream - his young adult life. _This relationship is treating me so well_. All Dream had been talking about was the main romance on a drama program he was watching. Dream probably could have phrased the sentence better, maybe just complimenting the relationship instead of how it related back to making him happy. Dream lived vicariously through the relationship, because why should he go out to try and find a boyfriend? The lead male on the show was attractive, and Dream had a hell of a creative mind. So he made it work.

Sapnap - Dream’s aforementioned best friend - had called Dream the second after he saw the cursed Twitter post, his mouth running a mile a minute to yell into his end of the phone. He ignored the few voice cracks that slipped out from his excitement, shouting “Oh my god! Dream, since when did you have a boyfriend?! Is he sweet? What does he look like? What’s his name?”

If Dream had been a person with any common sense, he would have laughed it off and explained to his overly animated friend that no, he wasn’t actually dating anyone, and that yes, he was in fact just professing his love for a television program in a way that could easily be misconstrued as him publicly announcing a relationship of his own. If Dream had known the messy web of lies he had ended up spinning himself into, he would have come clean and said no outright. But Dream was neither possessive of common sense, nor did he have any clue of the mess he had stuck himself in.

If anyone were to ask Dream what was going through his head when he answered Sapnap, his answer would have been a simply stated _nothing._ For someone that was always logical, possibly _too_ analytical, and thought solely with his head, he had no answer behind what he did. No reason. “Yeah!” His voice had been shaky, even cracking a bit as if he were fourteen again. “I… I, uh… I’m dating someone!” Dream loved to analyze why people did what they did, loved to contemplate how inner thoughts could affect outside actions, and after the call had ended - it took at least five minutes for Sapnap to finish exclaiming how happy he was for Dream - he tried to apply those same thoughts to himself.

What was the point in lying? It hadn’t done him any good. And it wasn’t like Sapnap would judge him if he told the truth - the shorter man had been there for him after Dream’s first and only boyfriend of three years dumped him last year. Sapnap, currently in awe, hadn’t expected the older man to move on to someone else so quickly. Was Dream secretly desiring a relationship? Is that why he told Sapnap that yes, he had a boyfriend? Was Dream secretly desperate? No…he told himself after the ex-boyfriend debacle that he would start trying his best not to think of himself in a negative light. His messy breakup had more than proved that Dream thinking badly about himself would send him into a downward spiral for weeks at a time, maybe even months.

He was stuck. Stuck in a situation with seemingly no outs; a situation that got infinitely worse when Sapnap had texted him the day after. He had asked if Dream wanted to take his boyfriend out on a double date with him and Karl, his boyfriend. And as Dream typed out an overly enthusiastic ‘sure!’, he was cursing himself out. His parents had always warned him that growing up brought about changes in people, both good and bad. Was Dream becoming a compulsive liar after his high school years? Or was he just overcomplicating things, just overanalyzing them?

Dream only had questions, only knew that he _didn’t know_ what he was doing. For some ungodly reason - one that Dream figured he’d never truly know - he had lied to his best friend, claiming he was in a relationship. A relationship, unbeknownst to Sapnap, that was as fake as the smile Dream had plastered on his face after his ex had mercilessly smashed his heart into millions of pieces. And now, he had agreed to going on a double date with this faceless, bodiless, _nonexistent_ boyfriend. Even if Dream had wanted to keep the lie going, he could have avoided the prospect of an outing with the previously mentioned imaginary boyfriend. He could have faked sickness - because clearly, Dream was getting good at faking things - or said that his boyfriend was working. He could have said anything except yes, and it would have worked.

But he hadn’t done that. And somehow, he needed to come up with a solution in the next half hour before he needed to leave to catch a bus heading towards the movie theater. Sapnap had already given him the details - it was a simple movie date followed by stopping somewhere for some dessert - and was beyond ecstatic that Dream and someone he loved would be attending. Maybe that was why Dream kept the lie going… Sapnap seemed so happy for him, and maybe he wanted to let the man believe that he had found someone.

He was pacing around his dorm room, much to the chagrin of his roommate, who knew all about Dream’s predicament, and had pretty solid advice - but it was advice that would only work if Dream’s acting was good and not just semi-satisfactory. He’d rolled his eyes at Dream, advising “Just find a random dude that’s gay or bi or whatever, and pay him to be into you for the night, dude. After the night’s over, just mention to Sapnap a few days later that you and Mister Mystery broke up. Simple.”

Yeah. Simple. Simple if Dream had any confidence in his ability to function as a normal, socially adept person. But the stars just didn’t want to align that way. So, in the simplest of terms, Dream was shit out of luck. Completely and utterly fucked, if you will. He had decided that the best course of action was to just come clean, even if it would be one of the most embarrassing things he had ever done - like trying to do a keg stand in his first year of high school, which had failed miserably, as one could expect. He’d go to the theater, and he’d force out a laugh as he explained the situation. He most definitely would not be thinking about what the reason behind him not having a relationship was. There was no way he would be thinking about how his ex boyfriend had given him a list - yes, a _list_ \- of reasons why he was dumping him, and how the seemingly endless list had stuck with him for the past year.

Honesty, as painful as it could be, was the best course of action. And besides, he’d still get a night out with two of his closest friends. But even the impending closure that his confession would bring couldn’t stop Dream’s incessant pacing. Dream’s roommate - a sweet young man named Alex - was on the verge of kicking him out of their place a few minutes early just to get the constant drone of footsteps to stop.

“I’m going.” Dream’s voice was already slightly wavering, and his throat felt like it was closing up. Maybe he had an allergy to social interactions? The near asphyxiation and itchy skin that came with just the idea of having to go into a place filled with other people was proof enough, right?

“Listen to me,” Alex was staring up at Dream from the couch he had sprawled across. “Sapnap and Karl love you, just like I do. They aren’t going to judge you for a misunderstanding. Okay? Now go and enjoy your time with them, use tonight as a way to just enjoy your time with your friends. You deserve it.”

“But-” Dream’s protest couldn’t make it past the first word when Alex cut him off with “I said enjoy your time. So, my lovely friend, you will enjoy your time. Goodbye!” His desire to get Dream out of the dorm must have been great, because he had lifted himself off the couch to quite literally push Dream outside their room. “Also, Bad and Zak are coming over tonight, so I recommend finding somewhere else to spend the night. You probably don’t wanna hear our battles in Mario Kart at four in the morning, so…”

Ah. So _that_ was why Alex desperately wanted Dream out of the dorm - he’d made plans for his friends to come over. “I swear to god, Alex, you couldn’t have told me earlier? What if I can’t find any place to crash?”

“You’ll figure it out!” Alex’s voice was cheerful, a wide grin plastered on his face. “Now get out or you’ll miss the bus.” And with that, he slammed the door in Dream’s face, ultimately leaving him to face his demise alone. What? Was that thought overdramatic, too? Dream laughed bitterly to himself, unable to even care about his melodrama.

Walking to the bus felt like a public walk to the gallows. No, people weren’t looking at him. He was just another kid going out for an evening excursion, nothing out of the ordinary. But he could feel gazes all up and down his back, staring at him, criticizing him for his lies. His nervousness was piling up and weighing him down like a boulder atop his shoulders. Even just getting on the bus, he tripped over his own _tied_ shoelace, somehow, and almost fell down in the aisle. Because tonight wasn’t going to be traumatic enough already. At least the sunset was pretty.

That was something Dream had always loved. The sunset, even though it was nothing out of the ordinary, was something Dream had always been enamored by. The way the oranges and pinks of sunset faded seamlessly into midnight blues and jet blacks was fascinating to him. Or maybe it was just the notion that anything and everything, no matter how majestic or beautiful, would fade to black and nothing could stop that change from taking place.

Dream got so caught up in staring at the fading sunset and getting lost in his existential thoughts that he almost missed his stop. He almost laughed at his current situation - all the _almost_ mishaps he was narrowly avoiding must be preparing him for his tragic downfall in a few minutes, right? After walking into the theater with his head hung low as if he was walking towards the electric chair after eating his last meal, he unlocked his phone to ask Sapnap where the hell he and Karl were. But Sapnap had already beaten Dream to answering that question with a quick text message. It only read ‘traffic’ and was accompanied by a frowning emoticon. But maybe this was for the best? Dream would get time to prepare his famous last words and then sit down at his favorite sulking bench in the theater’s lobby, awaiting his imminent death… Okay, yeah. He got it. He was a drama queen that would give those women of Hollywood reality shows a run for their money.

He started towards the concession’s counter, movements sluggish as if he were trudging along weighed down by a ball and chain. He forced himself to wear a smile, and repeated to himself in the back of his mind that ordering a small popcorn and a coke wouldn’t do him any harm. When he stepped up to the young woman at the counter that had called out “Next!” he had to admit that his tension was slightly relieved. The cashier had a bright smile and seemed to set the air alight with flames of implied friendship. “Good evening!” Her voice was friendly, and her happiness was infectious. A legitimate smile broke out on Dream’s face at the sound of her voice. “My name’s Niki, is there anything I can get for you tonight?”

_Come on, Dream… You’re literally ordering two things, there’s no reason to be incompetent…_ “Just a… uh…” Of course. Dream’s inability to be a fully functional person in any sort of social congregation was playing up. But the Niki girl didn’t seem to mind; she just waited with the same patient smile. “A small popcorn. And a coke. Thanks.” Dream said with a nod, lips pursed together in a strained smile. Niki told him the price, and by the time Dream had finished fishing out the bills from his barely-held-together wallet, Niki was waiting with his food in hand.

The simple exchange ended with Niki saying, “Have a great night, and enjoy the show!” Her exclamation was punctuated with a blinding smile that Dream couldn’t help but return, a quiet “Thank you.” leaving his lips. With his food and drink gripped tightly in his hands, he slowly walked towards his aforementioned sulking bench. The bench, as stupid as it sounded, was a somewhat cathartic item of furniture to Dream. He had done his fair share of breaking down on that bench, so the old piece of wood and metal was somewhat special to the man. He was ready to sit down on the bench and plan out what the hell he was going to say to Sapnap and Karl when they questioned why he was alone. But there was one thing preventing him from doing so. The bench - _his bench_ \- was occupied.

All Dream could see of the young man was the top of his head, which was covered by a black beanie, tufts of dark brown hair sticking out from the front of the knit hat. His face was hidden in his hands, and his knees were tucked against his chest. Dream should have been able to pick up on the blatant cues: This person is sad. This person is using the sulking bench to sulk. But when all Dream wanted was to sit down and try and figure out a way to address his predicament, social cues didn’t matter. “Hey.” He said, his voice monotonous. “You’re-” Dream’s sentence stopped abruptly when the man looked up at him, his face appearing out from behind his hands. His eyes were red and watery, his high and defined cheekbones dotted a blotchy pink from what appeared to be dried tear tracks. “You’re crying.”

“It’s really that obvious, huh?” His voice, Dream noticed, was laced with an accent. British, likely from London, if all the hours he spent watching British YouTubers in his youth taught him anything. The young man wiped at his eyes. He was smiling softly and politely at Dream, but the tears still prevalent in his eyes provided the truth of his emotions. Dream knew that expression all too well - it was a common one in his select few default expressions. “I thought I’d be rid of all incriminating evidence by now.” The boy’s voice was fairly average in its pitch, but the accent made it stand out to Dream and drew him in, much like the sunset did.

“No.” Dream’s voice sounded robotic, and he hated himself for it. _Act like a normal human, dumbass. Sit down, ask him what’s wrong._ Acting as if he were on autopilot, Dream awkwardly sat down on the bench next to the unnamed bench-stealer. “Are you…? Um, is everything…” He sighed once before taking in a deep breath. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh.” The noise the man made was one that encompassed slight shock, as if he’d just been told he got a higher grade on a test than he had been expecting. “Someone actually cares.” Dream looked a bit taken aback, and the man was quick to continue. “Sorry, I’m just kinda aggravated at the world right now. I was supposed to go out on my first date - ever - with someone, but he stood me up. I tried calling my little brother Tommy but he didn’t pick up; I’m pretty sure he’s still at the tutoring center where he volunteers. So I’m stuck here, wallowing in my own self-pity. Fun, right?”

_He._ The man had said ‘he’. What was it that Alex had said when Dream had first told him about his gigantic issue? _Just find a random dude that’s gay or bi or whatever, and pay him to be into you…_ Dream had money. This guy was at least somewhat into other guys, and looked to be around Dream's age, maybe a little older. Was it even worth asking?

“Hey, uhm…” Dream trailed off, leaving the other man to gaze expectantly at him, waiting for him to continue. “I was just wondering- I wanted to- I don't know.” Dream grimaced, an expression entirely directed towards himself. “I have an extra ticket to the next show. We can go if you want. Together. Or you can just take the ticket and sit somewhere else. Or not at all.”

The man's eyes lit up with a strange sort of mirth. He smiled, sparkling white teeth showing themselves to Dream. “Are you trying to ask me out? Or is this a pity thing? Please don't have it be a pity thing, that would be way more embarrassing than me crying alone on a bench.”

“I, uh, well…” Dream bit down on his lower lip, averting his gaze from the other man's awaiting stare. “I may or may not have lied to my best friend Sapnap and told him that I'm dating someone so he invited me out to a double date sort of thing with him and his own boyfriend Karl but currently I have no date because this boyfriend of mine doesn't exist and I'm not trying to force you into anything because that's wrong and I swear I'm a good person but-” Dream paused to gasp for breath before continuing. “-I wanted to know if you would at least pretend to be my boyfriend since it'll only be for a few hours because it's just a movie and then dessert and I swear I have money with me so I'll pay you however much you want and I know I sound like a total dick right now but my friends are almost here so if I could have an answer somewhat quickly that would be really nice.”

“So PG prostitution?” The man's soft and sweet smile had devolved into a smirk, one of his eyebrows raised with mischief. “You seemed like such a sweet guy, I didn't have you pegged for someone into that.”

“No-” The syllable came out strangled and choked off from inside Dream’s vocal cords. “I just- I'm sorry, I can go, I just thought that maybe y-”

“Hey, hey, I'm just teasing you, don't worry.” The man looked quizzically at Dream, studying him like a calculus equation. “How about this? I'll take you up on the offer. Not because I feel bad for you, but because I'm already out for the night. And I want company, and a distraction from the fact that I got stood up.”

“Wait, really?” Dream's mouth had dropped open in shock. He fumbled around for his wallet once more, instantly asking, “How much do you want?”

“You don't have to pay me, okay? You've already got the tickets, that should be enough.” The sunset smile was there again, and Dream could feel the room get warmer - or maybe it was just his own skin getting hot. “So, am I going to get to know your name? Age? Or do your friends just expect me to call you Boyfriend the whole night?”

“It's…” Wow. The way the man was staring at Dream was equal parts intimidating and endearing. And it made Dream stop thinking completely, to the point of him momentarily blanking on his own name. “It's Clay, but I prefer being called Dream. And I’m… Um, I’m twenty-one.”

“Ah, I like that. A pretty name for a pretty boy.” Dream choked on his own breath after he heard the other man say that, his face turning a vibrant rosy pink. “My name's George. I’m twenty-four.”

“I, I like your name, too.” Dream never wished to be socially functional any more than he did now, with a pretend-boyfriend sporting a killer smile right next to him.

“You're cute, you know that?” George questioned, giggling as Dream once again looked away, trying to hide the red flush of his cheeks. “Tonight should be fun. Also, what-”

“Dream!” George's question was cut short by Sapnap’s voice sounding through the lobby of the theater. He ran towards Dream and George, Karl trailing behind him at a slower pace. Upon reaching Dream, he wrapped the blonde in a tight hug, his grin wide and giddy. “How are you? I’m so happy you were able to come out with us! Just the fact that you found someone, I’m happier than you could even begin to believe!”

Karl had made his way over to the three men by this point and walked up behind Sapnap, resting his chin against the slightly shorter man’s shoulder. “Baby,” he said through slight laughter. “You’re being insanely loud. You’re probably scaring…” Karl’s eyes darted to George, tilting his head as if to silently ask for his name.

“George.” He clarified, his own illuminating smile entering the mix. “And don’t worry, he isn’t scaring me. The energy must be nice to be around! Forgive me if I get this wrong, but you’re Karl, right? And the adorably energetic one is Sapnap?”

“Woah, wait, you’re British?” Sapnap’s exclamation temporarily prevented George’s question from being answered.

“Yep, but I’ve been doing grad school for computer science here in America for a few years. I’m twenty-four, by the way, so I’m old enough for graduate school normally, I’m not some super genius. Although, I’m on a pretty sweet academic scholarship…”

“That’s sick, man! I’m a comp sci major too, but I’m only nineteen, so normal college.” Sapnap’s eyes were glittering with a sense of pride. “Man, Dream really scored with you, damn. An attractive, smart, charismatic European… That sounds almost too perfect to be true.” He joked.

Quite frankly, Dream felt jealous after he got over the initial pang of fear when Sapnap mentioned the situation being too perfect. George’s charm, his social skills trumped Dream’s a hundred times over, and he had just met Sapnap and Karl approximately a minute ago. “Sapnap’s right, that’s really impressive. Also, you’re exactly right. I’m Karl, and that’s Sapnap. Very energetic, I mean, he truly is amazing to be around. Sometimes his unwavering positivity is the only thing to get me through the day.”

Sapnap groaned “C’mon, stop…” and angled his shoulder in a way that made Karl’s head slide off of it. But even through his minimal embarrassment, his hand still found its way to Karl’s and it grabbed his, holding on tightly. “Alright, George. I gotta talk to you. As his best friend to his new boyfriend. Consider it the casual break-his-heart-I-break-your-kneecaps talk, yeah?”

Even if Sapnap had been trying to be legitimately intimidating, which he was - but he would never admit to that, not when he knew he was approximately as intimidating as a butterfly perched atop a marshmallow - George just smiled and nodded, saying “Duly noted.” and picking himself up from the bench. As he stood he stretched his hand out towards Sapnap and then Karl, who both shook his hand with much enthusiasm. Sapnap broke away from Karl’s hand to pull George aside, but not before pressing a chaste kiss against the older man’s palm and giving his hand a soft squeeze.

“Alright.” Sapnap said once he and George were a fair distance away from Dream and Karl. “Dream’s been through a lot. I don’t know how long you two have been together, so I don’t know how much he’s told you about his last relationship. But it really screwed him up after they split. I also don’t know if you’ve seen him in public, but he’s gotten a hell of a terrible bout of social anxiety after the split. His ex told him shit like he was too awkward, that he was too clingy and at the same time never talked to him, and said that he always came running to him with fake problems he made up for attention. So Dream kinda shut down after it happened and closed himself off to most of the world. I really can’t explain in words how relieved I am that he’s found someone he trusts enough to let them into his life in such an intimate way. But I swear to God, if you so much as make him cry, I will hunt you down and torture you until you’re sobbing on your knees, begging for mercy that I won’t give you.”

George had to admit, he was taken aback. Sure, he had seen some obvious hesitancy in Dream when the man first approached him, but he never would have guessed it was from residual pain from a breakup. His heart broke for the man, and he couldn’t help but let his eyes stray to Dream, who was seemingly deep in conversation with Karl. And he felt guilty. If Dream was truly this broken from his past breakup, who was George to just pretend like he was actually there as a substantial part of Dream’s life? And Sapnap seemed so happy about it… Regardless of George’s inner guilt about the lie he had roped himself into, he nodded. “I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want to.” This… This was in no way a lie. “He’s special.”

“I’m holding you to that, George.” The serious expression Sapnap had been wearing was replaced by what seemed to be his signature smile. “Alright, now I say we go and watch our movie. I have a feeling tonight’s gonna be awesome.”

The two walked back to their respective boyfriends - well, in Sapnap’s case, he walked back to his boyfriend and caught him by surprise in a hug from behind, and George walked towards the man he’d known for a few minutes, the one who was apparently still trying to piece himself together after a messy split - and Sapnap announced that they were ready to enter the actual theater whenever the other two were. Karl and Sapnap walked hand in hand, their footsteps matching. Thankfully, they were walking in front of Dream and George, who most definitely didn’t look like a couple. Dream stared at the floor, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, while George gazed at him through his peripheral vision, for once at a loss of things to say. They walked into the theater silently, a stark opposite of what Karl and Sapnap were doing, which was talking about anything that came to their carefree minds.

It took a little while for them to all get settled in their four seats - Karl insisted on getting the “best spot” in the theater, otherwise known as a level that was high up, but not _too_ high, and directly in the middle of the row. Once they were settled down, Karl and Sapnap fell into a position that seemed natural for them, almost habitual. Sapnap’s arm slung around Karl’s shoulders, the older boy resting his head against the crook of the younger’s neck. And once again being the real couple’s opposite, George and Dream sat down next to each other and slightly leaned away. Half of George wanted to get closer. He was pretending to be Dream’s boyfriend and all, so he should really start acting the part. But the other half of him felt like he should stay away and not impose on Dream’s space. If his breakup had been as chaotic as Sapnap made it out to be, what could have even happened to make it that way?

The movie had started, its vibrant and vivacious colors - that George couldn’t see to their full effect - filling the theater, but George couldn’t find it in himself to pay attention. He was already too focused on something - _someone_ \- else. Just watching the bright colors reflect in Dream’s eyes, the way his head tilted slightly when something confused him or the way he relaxed back into his seat when a plot line was neatly tied up was enthralling. The way he stiffened when an action scene happened, leaning forward from his reclined seat; the way his face would tint pink when the main characters on the screen embraced was captivating.

George almost didn’t realize what he was doing when he outstretched his arm, taking Dream’s hand in his own. Dream’s brow furrowed in confusion, and his mouth opened to ask a question, but George whispered “I’m supposed to be your boyfriend, right?” before Dream could speak. Dream nodded and tilted his head back towards the screen, but only after he shifted around the position of their hands to make their fingers interlocked. Grinning, George absentmindedly began to run the pad of his thumb across Dream’s hand. He felt the warmth of the other man’s hand seeping into his own, and realized with a startling jolt that he liked it. Dream’s skin was soft and warm, and George didn’t want to let go. So he didn’t, and the rest of the movie was spent in near silence. George had slowly started to lean closer to Dream, and was pleasantly surprised to notice that he wasn’t pulling away. By the time the movie faded to black, they were pressed up to each other’s sides, hands still intertwined.

“Dream?” George’s voice was nothing more than a whisper. “I want to kiss you.”

Dream had tensed, his breathing appearing to come to a halt. “You… You know you don’t have t-”

“I know. I know I don’t have to. I know I’m only pretending to date you. But I _want_ to kiss you.”

“Fuck…” Dream had turned to face George head on, and with the close proximity of the movie theater seats, their faces were only separated by a few centimeters of space. “Really? You really wanna… Okay. Yeah. You can. I want you- I want you to…”

George’s grip tightened on Dream’s hand, and he almost used the leverage he got from their connection to push himself upwards. He only had to lean forward slightly to connect his lips with Dream’s, but by god, he would have given all the effort in the world to experience this. Just like his hands, Dream’s lips were soft and warm. George wanted to lose himself in them. Dream was still on edge. He had locked George’s hand in a death grip as if that would be able to bring him back down to reality. His mouth moved slowly, halted by nervousness. But once George murmured “You can relax, Dream. It’s okay…” against his lips, Dream stopped holding back. He let himself fall apart from George’s mouth alone. It was the first time he had kissed anybody since his ex left him. Dream could taste salt on George’s lips from the popcorn, sweetness from the can of Coke he’d been drinking, and something unexplainable that must have just been _George._ Dream’s heart was beating a mile a minute and he felt like if it weren’t for George’s hand in his own, he’d be floating away with nothing tethering him to earth. George was just so good with his mouth - it seemed as if it were just like anything else for him, coming easily and naturally. When he pulled away, Dream tried to suppress his discontented whimper, but George heard it. And he giggled, his other hand coming up to gently stroke Dream’s cheek.

“The lights are coming on, Dream. Don’t wanna get in trouble for public indecency, now, do we?” George’s tone was teasing, his smirk clear and evident regardless of the fact that Dream’s eyes still hadn’t adjusted to the brightening light. “C’mon, Karl and Sapnap are already getting up, you wouldn’t wanna keep them waiting.” Like it was nothing, George bounded up from his seat, leaving a flushed and flustered Dream sitting down with a burning desire to sink deep into his chair. Ultimately, George found it cute. He pulled Dream up to a standing position by the hand that was still laced with Dream’s, and smiled as the much taller man practically fell into him. With his chest pressed flush against George’s back, George could feel Dream’s heartbeat pounding even through the layers of clothes. He gently squeezed Dream’s hand, whispering “You’re alright, it’s okay, don’t worry.”

George then looked up at Sapnap and Karl, a bright smile on his face, looking normal - like he hadn’t just been kissing Dream to a point of near-spontaneous combustion. “How’d you two like the movie?”

Sapnap grinned cheekily, his eyes sparkling with a devilish glint. “I gotta say, my favorite part was the climax.” When Dream was able to put one and one and one together - Sapnap’s statement, the way Karl smacked his arm right after, and the bruise Sapnap had on his neck that was most definitely not there earlier - he gaped, his eyes widening.

“You both are so fucking gross-” Dream’s words made it sound like he was appalled, but the laughter that mangled the second half of his sentence into incomprehensible syllables proved more than anything that he found the situation hilarious.

And so did George, apparently, judging by the high-five he gave Sapnap, accompanied by an affirmative “Respect, man.”

Karl glanced up towards the ceiling, muttering “Why the hell did I ever fall in love with this idiot?”

Sapnap mollified his boyfriend when he placed a kiss on his forehead, and announced, “Alright, movie’s done. Are we ready for part two of Double Date Adventure?”

At the same time Dream groaned, asking “You _named_ this?” George laughed.

The older man’s giggles made sweet music in the emptying room. He said, “I love the fact that this endeavour has a name.”

“At least someone appreciates my love of giving anything and everything a name.” Sapnap said, flashing George a grateful smile. “Now, if we wanna go to where I planned, we gotta jet. It closes in a little under an hour.”

George pulled Dream down so that his mouth was directly lined up with Dream’s ear, and whispered, “You heard him, baby, let’s go.” He took great pleasure in watching how Dream visibly shivered at the nickname, his previously even breath hitching in his throat. Dream’s tongue darted out from his mouth to lick his lips - a nervous habit - and he closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling and exhaling deeply for a few heartbeats.

“Yeah.” Dream’s voice was shaky like it had been days ago on the phone with Sapnap. “Let’s go.”

On the walk to the small shop that Sapnap refused to name, Dream had one continuous thought: Thank fucking God for Karl Jacobs. The brunette had distracted George in a conversation that lasted the entire walk, giving Dream some much needed time to think. George had kissed him. George said he wanted to kiss him. But did he really? Hell, Dream knew George had said that he wasn’t faking being his boyfriend out of pity, but how true was that? What if George decided to tell Karl and Sapnap that he and Dream weren’t actually together? What if…

No.

Dream’s fists clenched at his sides. Everything in his life, anything he did since his breakup was based on a “What if…?” and Dream was sick and fucking tired of it. Letting his ex affect his life almost a full year down the line… No, this trance that Dream had been stuck in wouldn’t affect him anymore. This was _his_ fucking life. His damn story, and his choice to write whoever he wanted into it. Dream looked up from the pavement to glance at George - chocolate brown hair, shining smile, face dotted with a sparse sprinkling of freckles, hands moving animatedly, a spring in his step - and realized that he truly did want him. Dream wanted to kiss George again, sure, but he wanted more than that. He wanted to take him out on real dates and learn things about him - his favorite color, his dreams and aspirations, his favorite things to do. All hesitancy left his mind. All thoughts of his ex that plagued his mind for months faded away to nothingness.

He quickened his pace to match George’s steps, and he took the other man’s hand in his own, a carefree “Hey, Georgie. Karl keeping you entertained?” slipping easily from his lips. The smile that Dream gave George was so authentic, the first really _real_ smile the shorter man had seen from him in the entire few hours of knowing him, and George decided right then and there that this couldn’t be the last time he ever saw Dream. He didn’t want Dream to just be someone to spend a couple hours with and never see again, no, George wanted to help break Dream out of his shell for good and to wake up next to him each morning.

“Most definitely, baby.” George’s voice was soft and gentle, no hints of a teasing tone lacing his sentence.

Sapnap and Karl knew something was up. There seemed to be something odd about Dream and George the whole night so far, but with the exchange of those two sentences, it was like the stars aligned. Whatever had previously been off concerning the two boys dissipated, and they now appeared to have a normal relationship. When the four boys arrived at the cafe Sapnap had insisted on bringing them to, it was discovered that Dream and George had another common point. Just as this cafe was Dream’s favorite spot to be when he had to leave the comfort of his own dorm, it was George’s too. And because the universe decided to shift at just the right angle to make things work out tonight, both boys revealed their favorite thing to order at the small shop and were overjoyed when they realized it was the same pastry - chocolate croissants.

If anyone were to walk past the cafe and see the four young men, they’d think of four kids who had been best friends for a lifetime. The instant connection they all seemed to share, the genuine smiles and laughter they all expressed, it all made it seem like the four had known each other their whole lives. They talked about anything for what felt like ages when Sapnap’s phone beeped, alerting the group that both he and Karl needed to leave. “Karl’s gotta be up early tomorrow for an early-morning med school class, and I promised him we’d go out for breakfast first, so we need to clock in early.” Sapnap turned to George first, saying, “It was so amazing to meet you tonight, George. You seem to make Dream so happy, and I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for that. We better hang again sometime soon, alright?”

“And Dream,” Sapnap began, facing his best friend. “Keep this one around. I can see that he just lights up something inside of you that’s bringing out a glow I haven’t seen in ages.” He and Karl both finished saying their goodbyes as quickly as possible - which wasn’t fast at all, neither of them were good at goodbyes - and exited the shop hand in hand, using their free hands to wave back at Dream and George.

Once the tingle of the bell above the door signified its closing, Dream let out a big sigh. Relief? “So…” he mumbled, his earlier bravado slightly fading. “Thank you for tonight, for playing along. I still can pay you if you decide you want the cash, I know I wasn’t the most exciting date…”

George’s heart was breaking. How, after everything, could Dream not see himself the same way George had started to? “Please, Dream. Don’t talk about yourself like that.” He took Dream’s hands in his own and stared across the table at him, their eye contact fierce. “Whoever your dick of an ex-boyfriend was, he doesn’t know how precious you are. You aren’t awkward, Dream, you’re just shy. And that’s okay, that’s just one of the wonderful parts of you. And jeez, I can’t imagine you as the type of person to be clingy or to never talk to someone. And by god, if there is ever someone you need to talk to about anything, I’m here for you. I want to be here for you. Whatever problems you might be going through, listen to me when I say they aren’t fake and they aren’t for attention. If you’re struggling, I want to be here with you to support you.”

“I-” Dream swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat. There were tears threatening to spill from his eyes, but for the first time in ages, not from sadness. He pushed himself up from the cafe’s chair and walked over to the side of the table George was sitting on. Without saying a word, he sat down next to him and threw his arms around George’s neck, pulling him close. “Thank you. Seriously, it means more than you know… But you know you don’t have to sa-”

“I don’t have to say all this.” George cut him off. “But I want to. So I will. Dream, I know we just met a few hours ago, but I’ve really taken a liking to you. Even if you decide that tonight was just a weird night that you might even forget about in a few years, that’ll suck but it’ll be okay, as long as you know I’m more than willing to be here for you. For anything.”

“I don’t wanna leave.” Dream stated softly. “I don’t wanna forget.” And this time, it was him who leaned in, his eyes closing slowly as his mouth found its way to George’s. George angled his body so that Dream would have easier access to his mouth, using his new position to his advantage and bringing Dream just that much closer. Their chests were pressed together, heartbeats thumping so intensely that one could feel the other’s through their shirts. Dream pulled George from next to him to on top of his lap, either disregarding or not registering the way the chair leaned back dangerously. It didn’t matter, not when George was here and sitting on top of him and tasting like the honey that topped the chocolate croissants they had eaten. George deepened the kiss, something primal inside of him craving to taste more of the mix of honey and chocolate and Dream. And when Dream pulled away for air, his lips cherry red, a small smirk formed on his face - which somehow made him look all the more adorable. “I guess you don’t care about public indecency anymore?”

When George didn’t answer, Dream giggled. George then leaned back and covered his mouth to silently yawn, shifting atop Dream in a way that sent a hot flash throughout the latter’s body. “M’tired.” The brunette stated, hands curling into fists to rub at his eyes. George’s sleepy haze was beyond adorable to Dream, and he was tempted to invite George over for the night, but he snapped out of it in an instant, groaning out a “Fucking hell, Alex-”

“Who…?” George began to question.

“My roommate. Invited two of his friends over for the night. So basically I can’t go back there until they fall asleep, which won’t happen until dawn. They wanted to play a Mario Kart tournament for hours. Upon hours. Upon hours.” Dream groaned once more into his hands, a muffled “Fuck.” entering the mix.

George looked down at Dream in silence for a few seconds before quietly clearing his throat. This… What he was about to ask, it would either lead to what could be the best night - and future days and months and years - of his life. Or it could completely backfire. “I mean… You could come back to my place, if you want? Although there’s no faking boyfriends allowed, I only invite real ones. So… Wanna spend the night? And not as my pretend boyfriend?”

Dream beamed. His heart was swelling, pounding with excitement and anticipation. He was done living his love life in fear. “I’d absolutely love to.”

**Author's Note:**

> lmao so dream's douche of an ex is actually inspired by someone i dated back in grade 8 who broke up with me with that exact same list lmaoooooo it hurt but it's been a little over four years so whatever i'm like 99.2% over it hahaha~~~~ anyway !!!!!!!!! happy ending !!!!!!!!!! they're officially dating !!!! and they're gonna go back to george's place and cuddle and be cute ;0;  
> i really hope y'all liked this if you read to the end!!!!! and to anyone who's been keeping up with my recent works, i'd like to say that i plan to have chapter 4 of 'drowning in you' and part 2 of 'you walk like you're a god' posted by mid-march!!!
> 
> make sure to stay hydrated, y'all!!!  
> xoxo, galactic <3


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